Two months ago I began to pray for God to allow me to meet someone else that has MS—someone I could talk to—a friend.
Over the past year and a half of trying to filter through my diagnosis, I have talked to many people. I am so thankful for these people who have loved me through it—friends and loved ones, but none of them have been people who have MS—someone to whom I can ask the hard questions, or reveal my fears and know they understand. At times it is a lonely road.
It’s not until recently that I’ve even had a desire to talk to someone with MS. I think, simply put, I just haven’t been ready. Recently, a doctor asked me about my MS. He said, “Now, I assume you’ve read everything there is to read about it. I’m sure you’re an expert...”
And I had to say, “Actually, no. I haven’t. And no, I’m not.” It’s hard to read about it, to look at the research and the potential ramifications—it’s hard to see what “could be.” This whole thing has been a process.
Recently, however, I’ve felt he push to know more, to learn more, and so I began to pray for a person rather than a website. Several weeks ago, the Lord showered me with His amazing grace in answering this prayer. And in His merciful and loving fashion, He not only brought me someone with MS—he brought me a believer in Jesus Christ.
The best part of this answer to prayer is the story itself--the way I met her. It is so crazy—so “coincidental” as many would claim, that it could only be written by the hand of God.
These are my favorite answers to prayer—the kind where I could not even try to take credit if I wanted to—the kind where our Savior blows our socks off.
Let me tell you how it happened…
As Brian and I entered the waiting room for my appointment with my neurologist, there was only one other person in the waiting room. She was young and cute and unassuming. She sat quietly with her Bible open.
I immediately thought to myself, Really, God!? Could this be her!? The answer to my prayer sitting like a wrapped present in the waiting room with her Bible open???
So—much to Brian’s dismay, I leaned over and asked this cute little thing: “Excuse me, are you a believer?”
“Yes,” she replied quietly.
So of course, I quickly followed it up with, “…and do you have MS?”
“No,” she replied, dashing my dreams in my moment of glory (although looking back, I’m so glad for her that she does not!). I was immediately disappointed but recognized the chances of finding my new friend with MS, with a Bible open, in the lobby of my doctor’s office was so highly unlikely.
“But…” she continued, “I am here with someone who does. And she is also a believer.”
This girl told me the few details she could—that she had been called in on a day she usually didn’t work to help transport this woman to her appointment. The lady, I learned, was in a wheelchair and this sweet young girl was here to help her.
In the next moment, I was getting called back for my appointment and ripped a piece of paper out to write down my email. “Please give this to her,” I told the young girl. “I have been praying to find someone with MS to talk to. Perhaps she might be the answer to my prayers.”
And then I waited.
And I prayed..
And then I hoped.
And I prayed.
And about a day or so later, Bonnie emailed me.
Bonnie is God’s gift to me-- how else can you describe this sequence of events??? She was the answer to my prayer. It’s called Providence—God’s timing.
And it’s called grace.
She even has red hair! We emailed back and forth for several days and then decided to meet. On my first meeting with Bonnie, I cried a lot and marveled at her courage and faith. She has traveled a much longer and harder road than I have yet traveled. She has secondary progressive MS, which is much more severe than mine. But Bonnie has hope. She has hope in Jesus, and she has a story to tell.
And I can’t wait to hear more of it.
So for now, I thank God for my new friend, for this bold answer to prayer.
Amazing grace...how sweet the sound.